Key Features
Women within UK registered micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply for a share of up to £4 million to develop their exciting and innovative ideas. The £75,000 grant also includes bespoke business support.
Programme: Innovate UK
Award: Share of up to £4 million
Opens: 13th May 2024
Closes: 10th Jul 2024
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is offering up to 50 Women in Innovation Awards to women entrepreneurs within SMEs across the UK. The winners will receive a £75,000 grant and bespoke business support.
The aim of this competition is to fund and support a diverse portfolio of Women in Innovation Award winners:
Your project must identify clearly evidenced pressing societal, environmental or economic challenges, and how your project and innovation can help solve them.
Applications can come from any area of innovation (where innovation is defined as the commercially successful exploitation of ideas) and be applied to any part of the economy.
We are looking for women who clearly explain how they will benefit from the full package of funding and support on offer and who can describe how this will add value to them and their business.
Innovate UK are particularly encouraging applications from women who:
As an award holder you will receive tailored business support, including but not limited to:
Role model work
Award holders will be required to volunteer as a role model for at least five days over the 12 month duration of the award. This is likely to generate interest in your stories and business.
A role model is a person perceived by others as setting an example of best practice which, if replicated, can enable the achievement of goals.
A role model is frequently associated with undertaking activities, including but not limited to:
A role model will help encourage and inspire others to enter a career in innovation and promote diversity and inclusion in innovation.
Portfolio approach
Innovate UK want to fund a variety of projects across different locations in the UK. We call this a portfolio approach.
Your project must:
Projects must always start on the first of the month and this must be stated within your application. Your project start date will be reflected in your grant offer letter if you are successful.
You must only include eligible project costs in your application.
Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.
Lead participant
To lead a project you must:
Applications from UK-registered social enterprises operating economically will be eligible if they meet all other criteria.
You are not eligible to apply for Women in Innovation 2024 – 2025 if you or anyone else from your business have previously received Innovate UK funding from:
Subcontractors
Subcontractors are allowed in this competition. Subcontracting costs must not exceed 50% of the grant funding amount.
Subcontractors can be from anywhere in the UK and you must select them through your usual procurement process.
Innovate UK expect all subcontractor costs to be justified and appropriate to the total eligible project costs.
Number of applications
You can only make one application for yourself. Only one woman working within an organisation can apply.
The awards are for individuals, but this does not prevent you from working on the project with others.
Use of animals in research and innovation
Innovate UK expects and supports the provision and safeguarding of welfare standards for animals used in research and innovation, according to best practice and up to date guidance.
Applicants must ensure that all of the proposed work within projects, both that in the UK and internationally, will comply with the UKRI guidance on the use of animals in research and innovation.
Any projects selected for funding which involve animals will be asked to provide additional information on welfare and ethical considerations, as well as compliance with any relevant legislation as part of the project start-up process. This information will be reviewed before an award is made.
You can use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.
You can make a maximum of two submissions to Innovate UK with any given proposal. If Innovate UK judges that your proposal is not materially different from your previous proposal, it will be counted towards this maximum.
Innovate UK are not funding projects that:
Innovate UK cannot fund projects that:
Innovate UK have allocated up to £4 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.
Your total project costs will be 100% funded. Total project costs detailed within your application must not exceed the £75,000 grant funding amount. If your total project costs do exceed the maximum then your application will be made ineligible.
If successful, the grant funding will be paid in two instalments:
You can make reference to any additional voluntary contribution in your application answers. It must not be detailed in the finance section.
Book an appointment to speak to one of our advisors to discuss your eligibility to apply for this Grant Funding opportunity.
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